Instrument



July 23, 1935;

A. F. sPlTzGLAss 2,0()8,970

INSTRUMENT Filed July 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i t July 23, 1935. A. F. s`P|Tz-GLAss 2,008,970

INSTRUMENT Filed July 14, 1933 -2 S1 1eets-She etv 2 Patented July 23, 193s l' 2,008,970

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSTRUMENT Albert F. Spitzglass, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Republic Flow Meters Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 14, 1933, Serial N0. 680,389 1 Claim. (Cl. 234-1) 'I'his invention yrelates to instruments and their housing for the operating mechanism and a head mountings, and is illustrated as embodied in a and cap locked to the open end thereof, and a novel recording thermometer having a remote simple and novel adjusting means for an instrucontrol. ment so housed and which is particularly adapt- In previous instruments of this type it has been ed for manipulation by a screw-driver or the like customary to provide a supporting frame or the from the front of a panel on the rear of which like for the operating mechanism, on which is the instrument is mounted, and a novel mountmounted a member providing a backing for the ing, and arrangement of the operating parts of chart, the whole then being mounted in a dustthe instrument. Y proof casing having a glass cover, to form a com- 'I'he above and other features of the invention, 10 pletely assembled instrument which is then including various novel combinations of parts and mounted on an instrument panel or other supdesirable particular constructions, will be apparport. ent from the following description of the illus- It is an important object of the present intrative embodiment shown in the accompanying vention to simplify the construction and assemdrawings, in which: 15

bly of such instruments, and to lessen their cost, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete by utilizing the panel (or an equivalent support) assembly, of a type where only one instrument as the sole support for all of the parts, by a novel is to be mounted on the panel;

arrangement which still gives a sealed dust-proof Figure 2 is a vertical section through the asassembly.' sembly, on the line 2 2 of Figure l; 20

Having this in mind, the motor mechanism for Figure 3 is a section generally corresponding to driving the chart is provided with a housing such Figure 2, but showing the thermometer and the as a seamless cup-shaped stamping, which housmotor mechanism in section, and showing a panel ing is mounted in sealing peripheral engagement adapted to carry a plurality of instruments; with the rear face of the panel or equivalent sup- Figure 4 is a vertical section through the ther- 25 port, with the shaft or other chart driving memmometer selected as anillustrative instrument;

ber extending through the panel and arranged Figure 5 is afront elevation thereof; to drive a chart arranged on the front of the Figure 6 is a perspective view of the head o! panel. the instrument casing; 'I'he thermometer, or other instrument, is also Figure 7 is a perspective view oi the sealing cap 30 provided with a closed housing in peripheral sealwhich cooperates therewith; ing engagement with the rear face of the panel, Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the adjacent the edge of the chart, with its operatfastenings for securing the head and the cap ing member extending through the panel and together; provided with a pen or other recording or indi- Figure 9 is a perspective view of the stamped 35 eating element arranged to swing across the metal housing; chart. y Figure l0 is a perspective view of the adjusting The face of the panel is provided with a glazed sleeve; dished cover, hinged or otherwise mounted there- Figure 11 is a, perspective view of the operating on, which swings into sealing peripheral engage- Shaft and its connections; 40 ment with the front of the panel and incloses the Figure 12 is a 'perspective View of the Operating chart and the pen or its equivalent. Thus, since means of the instrument; the motor mechanism and the instrument proper Figure 13 is a perspective View of the pen car and the cover all are sealed peripherallyto the Tying member on the end of the Operating shaft? panel, a sealed and dust-proof assembly is pro- Fi 14 e ti e View of the then vided without any instrument casing and without gure 1s a p rspec Y the usual supporting frame. mometer subassembly, showing how itis adiusted,

Other features of the invention relate to an and, improved construction of the thermometer or Flgufe 15 1S a SCCIOH @OrreSDOnding to Figure 3 other instrument which, While useful in other but Showing a' diffrent instrument Subasselflbly' 50 combinations, do especially adapt, the instru- The Partlculal Instrument Selected for 11h15' ment for inclusion in the above-described as-, tration in the embodiment of the invention heresembly. in described is a thermometer having a bulb i6 Among these features are a novel construction intended to be placed in the space whose temof instrument housing, including a cup-shaped perature it is intended to measure, and which 55 as a flexible tube' I8 protected by meanssuch as oppositely wound at spiral lwirings 20 forming a flexible protective casing.

lThe end of the tube il is soldered or otherwise sealed to the xed end of a flat hollow Bourdon tube 22 which is wound to form a helix of substantial size. Thebulb I6 and the tube I8 and the helix 22 are lled in the usual manner with agas under pressure, a gas being selected whose changes of temperature in bulb I6 give the desired action of the helix22 in winding and unwinding about its vIn order to avoid disturbing the connection i8 in Calibrating. a separate tube 24 may be attached to the viixed end of the helix 22. The

instrument is then, in assembling it, deliberately lled with too much gas. In calibrating it, part of the gas is released through tube 24, and when the desired gas pressure is reached the tube 24 is pinched' on and solderedv shut. Thereafter corrections by way of calibration lare made by introducing more gas through the tube 24 or releasing some there-through, and each time the tube is again pinched off and re-soldered.

One end of the helix 22 is soldered or otherwise fixed to a head 26 which in turn is secured (by a setscrew 28 or the like) to an adjusting sleeve 30. The sleevel 30 has in its ends bearings in which there is journaled an operating shaftl 32. This shaft has mounted on or aiiixed to its end, within the helix 22, a member formed with a crank 34 having an extension 36 parall-el to but spaced from the axis of the helix.

The free end of the helix has soldered or otherwise secured thereto a radial connecting arm 38 which is soldered or otherwise firmly secured to the extension 36. Thus the twisting motiongof the helix 22, due to changesV of temperature around the bulb i6, is transformed by the arm 38 and the extension 36 and the crank 34 into rotary motion of the shaft 32. As is well understood in this art, in Calibrating the instrument the arm 38' may be moved along the helix 22 in such a manner as to bring into operation more or less of its length. The operating shaft 32 has xed at its front end a', part 40 carrying any desired indicating or recording device, shown as an arm 42 carrying a pen 44.

The adjusting sleeve 30 is journaled in a central boss of a novel head 46, axial movement be' ing prevented by a setscrew 48 extending into.

an annular groove 50. The head 46 has abutting thereagainst a closed and preferably drawn metal seamless housing 52 which incloses the helix 22 and associated parts. The housing 52 may be formed at its edge with a depressed lip 54 engaged and locked by a closure member 56 secured to the head 46 by fastenings such as screws 58.

If desired` to make a factory assembly of the instrument, screws 58 may be countersunk and their heads covered by sealing wax or the like.

The head 4E and theI closure member 56 are formed with registering grooves 60 forming a passage through which the remote control tube I8 passes, and which head and cap grip and hold the upper end of the flexible protective casing 20, as shown in Figure 4. 'I'hus the instrument is in itself a sealed and fully protected subassembly ing the entire helix with the parts attached thereto. by rotating the' sleeve 30, the sleeve is i provided with operating means such as a. spur gear 62 seated in a circular' socket yB4 in theface of the head .40. Asecond circular 'socket' 43 communicates 'with vthe socket 64 so that, as shown in Figure 14, a screw-driverBB or the like may beinserted and rotated therein', formingv in effect a two-toothed gear meshing with and driving the spur gear 62. This zero adiustment'is ordinarily made when the entire assembly has been put together, and with a chart in place.

According to an important feature of the invention, an instrument such as the one described above is intended to be mounted directly on the rear face of a panel or support 10 (Figures vl and 2) or I2 (Figure 3) by means of suitable screws or other fastenings, in peripheral sealing engagement therewith and with the operating member 32 extending through to the front of the panel. When so mounted, the arm 42 with its pen 44, or an equivalent indicating or recording member, is secured inplace'to cooperate withy a chart 'l4'on the face of the panel. v

The chart T4, preferablyv a. detachable circular chart of paper, is shown rotatably mounted on the end of a shaft or other operating member 16 extending through the panel. The shaft 16 forms part of any suitable clockwork or other motor mechanism 18 of any desired type, which is housed in a tight cup-shaped casing having at its edge a rubber gasket 82 in sealing engagement with the rear face of the panel. The motor mechanism is held in place by screws 34 or the like fastenings, four being shown.

In Figure 2 these fastenings engage a ange of the housing 80, and the sealing gasket is a flat ring ofrubber arranged between the rear face of the panel and this flange. In yFigure 3 the fastenings 84 are shown threaded into posts k8G forming part of the motor mechanism'18, and

the gasket 82 is a U-section rubber ring-embracing the edge of the housing 80. l

In both arrangements, a glazed dished cover or door 90, provided ii desired with a rubber sealing gasket 92, is hinged or otherwise mounted 'at 93 on the face oi' the panel, in sealing peripheral engagement therewith, and covers "over the chart 14 and the arm 42 with its pen 44. A latch or fastening S5 of any desired form may be provided -for the cover. Thus the entire assembly, a1-

a number of holes for the shafts 32 and 16, for

the fastenings holding the instrument and the motor mechanism, and for the fastenings for the door 90, and the complete assembly may quickly and easily be put together, as easily in fact as one of the old instruments can be mounted on a panel.

One advantage of the new instrument is that when it is necessary to repair the recording instrument, the entire instrument may readily be removed and returned to the factory. In the meantime it is replaced by a spare instrument, which has previously been calibrated at the factory', and which requires adjustment only as to its zero setting.

In the arrangement oi' Figure 15, the casing l5! of the instrument is open'at the front, and is provided with a rubber gasket |82 in sealing engagement with the rear face of the panel, where it is held by suitable machine screws or other fastenings which pass through the panel. The. illustrated instrument subassembly shown in detail in Figures 4 to 14 is claimed in my divisional application No. 19,558, filed May 3, 1935.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claim.

I claim:

An instrument comprising a support, a housed motor mechanism in sealing engagement with lthe back of the support and having a shaft projecting through the support and provided in front of the support with means for carrying a chart, a housed instrument in sealing engagement with the back of the support and having an operating member projecting through the support just beyond the periphery of the chart and having in front of the support a marking element acting on the chart and operated by said member, and a cover mounted on the front of the support and in sealing peripheral engagement therewith and which houses between itself and the support said chart and the end of said operating member and said recording device.

ALBERT F. SPITZGLASS. 

